History of Hancock County, Illinois, together with an outline history of the State, and a digest of State laws, Part 18

Author: Gregg, Thomas, b. 1808. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago, C.C. Chapman
Number of Pages: 1046

USA > Illinois > Hancock County > History of Hancock County, Illinois, together with an outline history of the State, and a digest of State laws > Part 18

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

John Clark-Resided in the vicinity of Fort Edwards, and was one of a family of three brothers, all of whom resided in this vicinity, and still have relatives here. John Clark died many years ago.

Leonard L. Abney .- Resided near the Calamus spring below Fort Edwards. His name appears in the list of candidates for County Commissioner in 1832, and in 1833 he was an acting Justice of the Peace.

Philip Malette-One of the early Frenchmen, resided in the vicinity of the fort. The early Circuit Court records show a divorce case between him and his wife. He left the county soon afterward, and nothing further is known of him.

William Clark-Brother to John Clark, left the county at a very early day.

Thomas Payne-Resided near Calamus spring. Was said to be descended from Spanish or French parents, and was from Vin- cennes, Indiana. Left in early times.

John Johnson .- See p. 218.

John Harding-Resided in the Bear creek region, not far from the present village of Chili. The three Hardings named in these lists must have been among the earliest, if not the very first, set- tlers in the south part of the county. The name of John Harding appears as one of the jurors while the county was attached to Adams, in 1827. He sold the farm on which he resided, adjoining the town of Chili, to Elisha Worrell, Esq., in 1835, and removed to parts unknown.

William Vance-Son-in-law to Luther Whitney, resided on the river near Montebello.

Hazen Bedell-A New Englander, resided at Montebello, and was the first Postmaster at that place, appointed under President Jackson's administration in 1830; was also a Justice of the Peace in 1831. Mr. Bedell died about the beginning of 1835, leaving a widow and three children, all of whom afterward went to Warsaw to reside. The eldest son, Edward A., was for many years an active business man in that place. During the Mormon difficulties he took an active part as a " peace man," and was one of the most

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HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY.

prominent of that class designated as "Jack-Mormone." He re- ceived the appointment of Indian Agent to Utah, and died in 1854, soon after his appointment. The second son, Lucien, studied medicine and went west. The daughter was the lately deceased widow of Samuel W. Brown, formerly of Warsaw.

John Waggonner-Was perhaps the first settler at Riverside. He settled there in 1824. He had previously been one of the pioneers in the settlement of the city of Cincinnati, there being a tradition in the family that he built the first cabin in that city. This is probably a mistake, as the Cincinnati Historical Society records the fact and gives a list of the names of some 30 or 40 first emigrants to that place (then called Losantiville) in a body from Maysville, Kentucky, and Mr. Waggonner's name does not appear in the list. At the time of his settlement in this county his fam- ily consisted of four sons,-Isaac Newton, Price, Henry Clinton, and Seth. A sketch of the eldest will be found elsewhere in these pages. Price and Henry C. both became steamboat engineers, and went to St. Louis to reside; now both deceased. Seth died at the age of 18. The father died at Riverside in 1839, and his re- mains lie buried in the old and neglected Montebello cemetery, on the high bluff overlooking the rapids, and not far from the res- idence of the family.

James Miller-Resided somewhere along the rapids; place of nativity or other antecedents unknown. Emigrated to Warren county about 1832, thence to Texas, and finally to Oregon.

Davidson Hibbard .- This gentleman resided on the bluff just below Commerce, where he had a farm, part of which was finally swallowed up by the encroachments of the city of Nauvoo. For the main portion of the account which follows, we are indebted to his grand-son, Wmn. D. Hibbard, Esq., of Nauvoo. The exact date of Mr. Hibbard's emigration to the county is not recollected. He was born in New Hampshire in 1786, and married in Maine, in 1816, to Miss Sarah Tilton. They were the parents of five chil-

dren,-one son and four daughters. He remained on the place where he settled until his death, which occurred in the fall of 1852, in the 67th year of his age. His widow is yet living (1879) at the advanced age of 86, but has been an invalid for several years.

There was but one other white family within several miles, when Mr. Hibbard first settled in the county, which was that of Captain James White, heretofore mentioned. For a number of years they were compelled to go to Crooked creek in Schuyler county, to mill. There were many Indians in the neighborhood (Sacs and Foxes), with whom he dealt and maintained uninterrupted friend- ship. He was well acquainted with Black Hawk and Keokuk, both of whom were present at a double wedding of his two daugh- ters, one of them marrying a son of Capt. White, and the other a Mr. Waggonner.

At the time of the coming of the Mormons to Nauvoo, Mr. Hibbard was in a prosperous condition, and suffered much from

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HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY.

the depredations of the thieves associated with that sect, as they stole almost all the movable property he had; at one time even driving off a drove of fat hogs he had fed for market; and so adroitly did they execute their work, that not a trace of them could be discovered.

Mr. Hibbard was ingenious and enterprising, and was an efficient workman in either wood or stone; could make almost anything from a violin to a wagon, and thus did he appear to be well fitted for a frontiersman. He built the first stone house that was put up in Nauvoo, which is still standing, the masonry being apparently as good as when built.

Mr. HI. was a member of the Masonic fraternity, and was highly respected by the members of his lodge, as he was by all who knew him; and the old settlers who knew him yet respect his memory and speak of his virtues and intelligence. At the time of his death he was possessed of considerable property.

Dewey .- Nothing to be known of him, not even his full name. On the probate books, however, we find the name of Joseph Dewey, deceased, under date of December, 1834.

Samuel Gooch-Residence somewhere along the rapids-re- moved in early times to some point north of Carthage, and after- wards to Fort Madison, Iowa, where he made a claim. Died about 1832.

John Reed-Resided in what is now Appanoose township. Gone. His name appears twice on the jury lists for the next year-1830.

Edward White .- Mr. White resided on the Mississippi, above Commerce, in Appanoose township. In the earlier years he was engaged with Capt. James White in his keel-boating business, and afterward, in 1832, in connection with his son-in-law, Mr. Amzi Doolittle, established a ferry, crossing the river at or near Fort Madison, and in July, 1836, laid ont the town of Appanoose. Of his antecedents little is known, excepting that he came from Ohio.

Hugh Wilson .- From his son, Mr. James Wilson, a respected citizen of Sonora township, we gather the following particulars of the life of this, one of the early settlers of the county. A Ken- tuckian by birth, he had resided some time in Tennessee, where he married a Miss Susan Skiles, before he came to Illinois. He re- moved with his family to Schuyler county in 1825, and to Hancock in 1827, and settled near the head of the rapids. The log cabin he built for his residence was about the third or fourth one in that vicinity. Mr. W. only remained in the county for a few years; in 1833 removed across the Mississippi to the vicinity of Fort Madison, which was then a part of Michigan. There he resided till his death in 1847 or '48. Some of his children still reside in that vicinity. Mrs. Wilson died about ten years after her husband.

The story of Mr. Wilson's experience on the prairie during the great storm of 1830, in which his neighbor and companion met such a tragical fate, will be found on another page.

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HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY.

FIRST PETIT JURORS.

Horace B. Whitney-Was the son of Luther Whitney, and brother to Sheriff Whitney. 'Died in 1835, as appears on records of Pro- bate Court of June in that year.

John R. Wilcox .- This gentleman was a Major among the offi- cers at the fort, and settled at the place after the fort was evacuated in 1824. For further particulars concerning him, see biography of his son, Dr. Lewis Wilcox, of Warsaw.

Edward Robertson .- No account of this juror can be obtained. His name also appears on the jury list for the spring term of 1830, and then disappears from the records, as he doubtless did from the county.

Samuel Brierly .- Was married to a daughter of Dr. Isaac Gal- land, and was for a time associated with the Doctor in selling goods at Commerce. About 1840 he removed to the other side of the river.

James Brierly .- An elder brother to the above had emigrated to the Half-Breed tract, across the river, previous to 1837, and resided at that date about four miles. below Fort Des Moines (now Montrose). He was a candidate and elected once, if not oftener, to the Territorial Legislature. They both left Lee county 25 or 30 years ago, and settled in Buchanan county, Mo. There James became an active Union man, and was elected as such to the Missouri Legislature. The other died some years since in or near St. Joseph. Thomas, a younger brother, went into steamboating on the Mis- souri, became rich, ran a packet between St. Louis and St. Joseph; and finally, with a fine boat of which he was one-third owner, ran the blockade during the Rebellion to join the rebels; the boat was finally burnt in the Yazoo river, to prevent her falling into the hands of the Union troops; and he, reduced to poverty, died at the south.

Robert Harding .- A relative, as supposed of John Harding, one of the grand jurors. As was also

Aaron Harding-And all resided in the same vicinity. Green Harding, a present resident there, is a relative of the family, to whom we made application for information, but without success.

Richard Chaney-Resided near the mouth of the stream known as Chaney creek, and from whom it derived its name. Mr. Chaney was said to have been a native of Prince George's county, Mary- land, born in sight of the "Federal city." The date of his emi- gration to the county is not known. About 1833 he removed to, and settled in Fort Madison, and was among its earliest inhabitants. Has since kept a hotel at Iowa city.

Benjamin T. Tungate-Resided in the vicinity of Chaney creek, and removed up the Des Moines river as early as 1836. He took out the second marriage license and was married to Deborah Flint, another early settler, October 17, 1829.

George W. Harper-Resided on the rapids at Montebello, near where the Congregational Church now stands. His name stands on

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HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY.

both jury lists for 1830. He is said to have emigrated West about 1834, by some of the old settlers; while others think he was the Harper who met his fate in company with Hugh Wilson in the great snow storm. (See another chapter.)

Charles Robison-Was born in Western New York about 1773. He came West in 1823 to the Wabash country; thence to Sangamon county, where he remained till the spring or summer of 1829, when he came to Hancock county and settled at the mouth of Larry's creek, near the line between Montebello and Sonora townships. At this place he continued to reside until the Mormon period. when he left the State, settling at West Point, Lee county, Ia. There he continued to reside till his death.

Mr. Robison was a minister, we believe, of the Baptist Church, and labored in that field with good acceptance among the people, to whom he became widely known. He had several children; one son, Chauncey, now resides in Appanoose. One or more of the sons joined the Mormons and went away with them to Salt Lake. His daughter, Eliza, was the legal wife of Gen. Daniel H. Wells, one of the chief magnates now of Salt Lake, but from whom she separated and refused to go with him, because he declined to renounce the Spiritual Wife doctrine, at that time being inculcated at Nauvoo. He is stated to have supplied her place, however, with several others. She now resides in Burlington, Iowa.

Patrick Momfit .-- In this name, the generally correct Clerk, Williams, has made a mistake, as there was no Patrick among the the pioneer Moffits of the county. James, John and Thomas were the three Moffits who originally settled in the vicinity of Venus, at the head of the rapids. James and John (distant relatives of the present James, junior, now residing in Sonora, from whom we obtain this information), were born in Ireland, county of Sligo, and came to America about 1818, single men. They located at an early day in Madison county, near Alton, but soon afterwards went to the lead mines near Galena, then the great center of attraction and speculation at the West. From the lead mines they went back East, to Central New York, and after a stay of a year or two, returned to Illinois and settled on the rapids, in what is now Sonora township. The lands on which they settled were afterward purchased when they came into market, at the Quincy land-office. This settlement was made about 1827 or '28. James died Sept. 18, 1868; John had died many years before.

That the above-named Patrick Moffit was intended for one of these, is the more evident from the fact that the name occurs no where else in the early records; while James and John both appear on the jury lists for each term in 1830. Thomas, the third of the trio, did not come to the county till 1830.

William Wallace-Resided on the place on the rapids bluff, below Venus, afterwards occupied by Roger Hibbard. He soon left for Warren county.

Enoch Hankins-(not Hawkins, as printed in some of the

James Stark

AUGUSTA

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HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY.

sketches of the county )-Was one of those who " left his country for his country's good." being the individual who has the reputation of being Hancock county's first murderer! He stands charged with killing a Mr. Moore. during court, on the rapids, in 1832. Resided in what is now Sonora township, and was an emigrant from Ohio. He was arrested, and there being no jail in the county, he was taken to Quincy for imprisonment. There he broke jail, and was never more heard of.

Abraham Moore-The victim of' Hankin's murder, resided on the rapids. Cause of the murder. an old grudge: said to have been neighbors in Ohio.

Asa Reed-Resided near the head of the rapids, as some citizens remember. but nothing more can be learned of him.

William Flint-Ditto. and ditto. Probably a relative of Deborah Flint.

Peter Williams-Resided near Fort Edwards. and was without doubt one of Hancock's very earliest settlers. He was here when it was a part of Pike. and was licensed to keep a ferry at the fort br the Pike authorities in 1825. A correspondent informs us that Mr. Williams stated to him that he resided at the fort when the first steamboat ascended the river "doubtful], and that " he thought the destroying angel had come "-not one of the " Destroving Angels " that were afterward so notorious at Nauvoo. What the Fear was we are not able to say. We have heard Mr. W. mentioned as a minister of the gospel. but whether attached to any denomi- nation we cannot sar.

In 1532. he, with others. made claims in Fort Madison. Iowa: and in 1833, says our correspondent. "his cabin and that of Rich- ard Chaney, with the two chimneys of the old fort. were the improvements of For: Madison."

Daniel Van Burklos-Resided near Venus: no further account of him, excepting that there was a Van Burkloe residing in the neighborhood after the Mormons came.

Amci Doolittle .- At the time of his death, which occurred in 1875. Mr. D. was the only remaining member of the first juries. and the last man but one of the od men who set the wheels of government in motion in the county. He was an scrive business man during the whole period of more than half a century of civil- ization. He was a native of Madison county. N. Y .. and was born June 16. 1503. He came to this county in 1827. from Schuyler. where, and in Sangames. he had resided about six years, having emigrated to the Siste at the age of 1s.

Mr. Doolittle's first wife was a daughter of Mr. Edward White. heretofore mentioned in this list of jurors. She died in 1845. sad in 1846 he was married again to Mrs. Sarah M. Wallsce, who is still living. In September. 1832, Mr. D., in coninaction with his father-in-law, was licensed to establish a ferry at Appa- noose, and in July. 1986. the same parties laid out the town of Apps- Doose, named after an Indian chief well known at that time. I: is remembered that a steam ferry-boat belonging to this company was dieshled in s storm. or in the ice, near Nanvon, early in the

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HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY.

Mormon period, and left over night; the next day, on going to it, its owners found it stripped of everything that could be carried away-even to the lighter parts of its machinery stolen.

Hezekiah Spillman .- This gentleman was also an Adams county juryman in 1825. At what time he came to the county, or where from, we cannot ascertain. He died many years ago. He resided at what was known as Spillman's Landing, on the Mississippi, in the north part of the county.

Richard Dunn .- This gentleman was son-in-law to Mr. Hugh Wilson, and, it is supposed, left the county at the same time, and died at or near Fort Madison.

Yaples-As entered on the jury list, was John Yaple, a native of New York, who resided at or near where Pontoosuc now stands. From his native State he emigrated to Ohio, thence to Morgan county, Ill., and thence to Hancock. He died about 1842, on his way to Texas. Messrs. White and Doolittle, Hezekiah Spillman and Mr. Yaple were probably four of the earliest settlers in the county, above the head of the rapids. Warren, born in Morgan, and James M. and Oscar, born in Hancock, are his three sons.

Mrs. Warren Yaple, residing near Adrian, in Rock Creek town- ship, from whom we obtain these facts, relates the following inci- dent, as occurring soon after settling in this county: The Indians were plentiful in those days along the river; and one day a squaw brought her own pappoose to the Yaple cabin, and taking the white child from its cradle unobserved, deposited her own in its place, and was making off with it. The exchange was discovered in time; she was followed, and each babe restored to its rightful mother. On being questioned as to her reasons for doing it, she said she wanted a white pappoose!

Samuel Bell-Was a resident somewhere along the rapids, was with Capt. White in the keel-boating, and is believed to have died of cholera about 1832.

Noah W. Payne-A brother to Thomas Payne, and a resident in the vicinity of the fort.

Lewis-Given name even not ascertained, resided on the rapids, and is supposed to have also gone, with the many others, over to the " New Purchase."

Reuben Brattan, John Sykes, Abijah Wilson, Abdiel Parsons, Charles Smith, Nathaniel Kennedy, John Campbell, Ralph Raburn, Thomas Safly, Arthur Parrin, Joseph P. Punyear,-eleven others belonging to the first juries,-we cannot trace. Some of them are remembered by old settlers, but whence they came or what be- camne of them is left to conjecture. .

The foregoing includes all the names of citizens of the county that appear on the records as residents at date of organization, August 4, 1829. That there were a few others has been made evi- dent in the course of our inquiries; although for a time it seemed pretty certain that ALL the adult males had been pressed into active service at the very first session of the County Commissioners' Court. Such of those not named in these lists, as can be ascer- tained, will be noticed hereafter.

CHAPTER V.

ORGANIZATION AND FIRST PROCEEDINGS.

On June 15, 1829, Judge Young issued the following order, viz:

STATE OF ILLINOIS, FIFTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT.

SET.

WHEREAS, It has been represented to me, the undersigned, Judge of the Fifth Judicial Circuit of the State of Illinois, north of the Illinois river, that the citi- zens of Hancock county in said State, are desirous that the same should be organized with as little delay as possible, and it appearing to iny satisfaction that the said county contains three hundred and fifty inhabitants and upward ;

I do hereby, in pursuance of the powers vested in me, by virtue of the ninth and eleventh sections of the act entitled "An act forming new counties out of the counties of Pike and Fulton, and the attached parts thereof," approved 13th January, 1825, order, direct and appoint that an election be held in some conven- ient house in Fort Edwards, in the said county of Hancock, on the first Monday in August next, and to continue for one day only, for the following named officers, to-wit: Three County Commissioners, one Sheriff, and one Coroner, to serve, when elected and qualified, in and for the said county of Hancock; and I do hereby nominate and appoint Luther Whitney, James White and George Y. Cutler Judges of said Election, whose duty it shall be to give twenty days' notice of said election, by posting up copies of this order, with such other notice of the same as they may deem necessary, in eight of the most public places in said county, distributing them as uear as practicable among the principal settlements of the county, to the end that all persons concerned may have due notice. The election to be viva voce, and conducted in all respects as near as may be in conformity with the laws now in force respecting elections; and the result thereof, when ascer- tained, to be fairly and legibly made out, certified, and returned to the proper department, that commissions may issue without delay, to such persons as may be entitled thereto. And lastly, it is ordered, that Circuit Courts be held in and for the said county of Hancock, on the third Mondays in June, and fourth Mondays in October, at such place as may be selected by the County Commissioners of said county, until other regulations shall be made by law, or different times shall be appointed by the Judge of said Court.

Given under my hand and seal at Quincy, in the county of Adams,

[L S.] this fifteenth day of June, A. D. 1829, and of the Independence of the United States the fifty-third.

RICHARD M. YOUNG, Judge of the Fifth Judicial Circuit of the State of Illinois, north of the Illinois river.

In pursuance of the foregoing order an election was held at Fort Edwards on the day named, being the third of August, with the following result:

The Commissioners named in the order, acting as Judges, with Davidson Hibbard and John R. Wilcox as Clerks.

(229)

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HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY. .

FOR COUNTY COMMISSIONER-

George Y. Cutler received. 50 votes.

Henry Nichols. .37

James White. . .31

Morrill Marston .30

Peter Williams. .10

Hazen Bedell

FOR SHERIFF-

Edson Whitney had. .31

Alexander White. .22

FOR CORONER-

Robert Wallace had.

.35 66

The next day the County Commissioners elect met at the same place and organized, when the following proceedings were had, as appears upon record :

STATE OF ILLINOIS, ) HANCOCK COUNTY,

At a County Commissioners' Court held in and for said county, at a special term at Fort Edwards in said county, on the fourth day of August, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty-nine. Present, James White, George Y. Cutler, and Henry Nichols, Commissioners.

Ordered, That Wesley Williams be appointed Clerk of this Court, temporarily, until superseded by a permanent appointment to that office; who thereupon came into Court, was sworn according to law, and entered upon the duties of said appointment.

Ordered, That Isaac R. Campbell be appointed Treasurer of the county, and that he give bond and security according to law, in the sum of one thousand dol- lars.

The Court procceded to lay off and divide the county into districts for the elec- tion of Justices of the Peace and Constables, whereupon it is-

Ordered, That all that part of the county lying between the north line of Adams county, and the line dividing townships four and five north, be erected into a dis- trict, to be known and designated as district No. 1, and that elections for Justices of the Peace and Constables be held at the house of Henry Nichols, in said dis- trict and that Luther Whitney, Henry Nichols and John Clark, be appointed Judges of Election therein.

All that portion of the county lying between the south line of townships five north, and the north line of said townships, be erected into a district known and · designated as district No. 2, and that elections therein be held at the house now occupied by William Vance, and that Hazen Bedell, Charles Robison, and John Waggonner, be appointed Judges of Election.

All that portion of the county lying north of the township line between town- ships five and six north, and the north boundary of the county, be erected into a district to be known and designated as district No. 3, and that elections be held therein at the store of Alexander White, and that Davidson Hibbard, Peter Wil- liams and Edward White be appointed Judges of Election therein.

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History of Hancock County, Illinois, together with an outline history of the State, and a digest of State laws, Part 18

Author: Gregg, Thomas, b. 1808. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Chicago, C.C. Chapman Number of Pages: 1046

Author: Gregg, Thomas, b. 1808. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago, C.C. Chapman
Number of Pages: 1046